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Tag: Zee Turner

  • TDSAT rejects Cable Com’s stay application against Zee Turner

    Kolkata, June 16, 2006: TDSAT on June 14 rejected a stay application filed by Cable Com Services Pvt. Ltd. (Cable Com) for restoration of Zee Turner bouquet channels on its network in Kolkata.

     

    Cable Com, one of the leading cable operators that reaches out to over in Kolkata and suburbs, had an agreement with Zee Turner Ltd. for distribution of the company’s bouquets of 23 channels in Kolkata only. The agreement for distribution if Zee Turner channels including Zee TV, Zee Bangla, Cartoon Network, CNN, CNBC amongst others expired on February 3, 2006 and was due for renewal.

    However, despite repeated requests from Zee Turner, Cable Com failed to sign the requisite agreement and also indulged into unauthorized distribution of Zee Turner signals to other regions besides Kolkata. The operator also failed to entertain the outstanding payments to the company thereby forcing Zee Turner to deactivate its signals on Cable Comm’s network on June 3, 2006.

     

    Following the deactivation of Zee Turner signals, Cable Com filed a petition before TDSAT denying any act of unauthorized distribution/piracy and challenged the de-activation. However, on hearing the arguments of both the sides on June 14, TDSAT rejected the interim application filed by Cable Com and refused to grant injunction to Cable com for restoration of the signals at its network by Zee Turner. As a result of such order the signals of all the channels of Zee Turner Bouquets will not be available on the network of Cable com. The matter is now listed before Honorable TDSAT on July 13, 2006.

     

    With TDSAT rejecting operator’s stay application, Cable Com has started misleading its customers by propagating a fallacious price hike by Zee Turner. The operator since June 13 has been running a scroll on his network stating that Zee Turner has increased the price of its channels by Rs. 43.60, hence the deactivation. On the contrary, there has been no increase in price of channels and the deactivation had been solely due to unauthorized distribution/activities on part of the operator. In fact, the regulatory body TRAI has freezed prices of all the channels/bouquets by various broadcasters and abstains any broadcaster from any sort of price hike.

     

    Mr. Arun Poddar, CEO Zee Turner Ltd., speaking on the issue said,” It is extremely sad that our viewers are being deprived of our channels despite them being paying for these channels. It is also very unfortunate that Cable Com, is misleading our viewers by propagating a false increase in price of our channels. I would like to take this opportunity to inform our viewers that there has been no increase in price of our channels and the deactivation has been purely on account of unauthorized activities being undertaken by the operator. The court’s judgment against Cable Comm is a testimony to this fact.”

     

    About Zee-Turner

    With 14 regional offices a countrywide network of over 400 dealers, Zee-Turner has the maximum depth and width of distribution in the country. Headquartered in New Delhi, Zee-Turner was incorporated in February 2002, when the two media giants – Zee Telefilms & Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. – joined hands to form a distribution joint venture. Zee- urner manages distribution and trade marketing for Zee, Turner as well as third party channels such as CNBC and Reality TV, in India and Nepal.

    Zee-Turner’s comprehensive bouquet already comprises of 26 channels catering to every genre and age, and offering quality national and international content at a very competitive pricing. Some of these include the flagship channels Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Zee Café, Zee Trendz, HBO,CNBC, CNN International, POGO, Cartoon Network, and the regional Zee channels, among others.

     

    For further information, please contact:
    Pawandeep Kaur
    Corporate Communication
    Zee-Turner Ltd.; Ph: 011-55563213; 9899796960
    Fax: 011-26779350
    Email: <mailto:kaurp@zeeturner.com> kaurp@zeeturner.com

  • Trai poised to finish CAS-related work; price fixing of pay & FTA channels next on the agenda

    Trai poised to finish CAS-related work; price fixing of pay & FTA channels next on the agenda

    NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is close to fixing prices of pay and free to air (FTA) channels, which will complete part of the formalities for rollout of addressability from 1 January 2007.

    According to sources in the regulatory body, which oversees the broadcast and telecom sectors, over the next few days more directives are likely to come on pricing of channels in a conditional access system (CAS) regime.

    The sources said that most major bouquets and TV channels have submitted a formula for pricing of channels for a regime when pay channels will have to go through a set top box on a mandatory basis.

    “Networks like Star and bouquets like Zee Turner and (Discovery-Sony) One Alliance are there with prices of individual channels,” a Trai source said when asked whether a la carte prices of TV channels have been submitted to the regulator or not.

    CAS is scheduled to be rolled out in the south zones of Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai from midnight of 31 December 2006, as per a Delhi court-mandated understanding that the government has reached with the broadcast industry.

    Trai sources said that over the weekend the regulator is first likely to fix the price of free to air channels, which will form the basic tier in a CAS regime, and then follow it up with pricing of pay channels.

    Trai had asked various pay TV channels to submit a la carte prices instead of bouquet pricing, which was being pushed vigorously initially by a section of broadcasters.

    The regulator had also clarified that if the pricing of a pay TV channel in a bouquet seems unreasonable or on the higher side compared to other siblings, it will then fix a price, which will be valid for a year.

    What is not clear at the moment is whether Trai will okay individual prices of pay TV channels in a bouquet or go in for genre-wise pricing like bunching all movie channels across the spectrum, for example, and then fixing their individual prices.

    It is also expected that the price of FTA channels in the basic tier is
    likely to be more than what was fixed three years back at Rs. 72 (exclusive of taxes).

    This time round, cable operators have petitioned to Trai that the basic tier should be priced around Rs. 150 keeping in view the general inflation and increase in other sundry costs like usage of electricity poles in various cities. These charges are given to local power companies as cable ops use electricity poles to string their own cable.

    According to the sources in the regulatory body, the whole CAS-related work will have to be finished before month-end.

    Over the past few days Trai has come out with directives on quality of service for cable operators and multi-system operators and revenue share formula amongst various industry stakeholders.

  • Tata Sky and Zee Turner haggle on price

    Tata Sky and Zee Turner haggle on price

    NEW DELHI: Tata Sky’s talks with Zee Turner for its bouquet of channels have got stalled on the issue of price.

    While India’s second pay digital platform Tata Sky has evinced interest in the first two of the three bouquets of Zee Turner for Rs 42, the latter is insisting all its 29 channels should be taken.

    According to sources close to the negotiations, Zee Turner has conveyed that it’s ready to give all its channels to Tata Sky’s DTH platform for Rs 74 per subscriber, which is 50 per cent of the price that cable operators pay for the channels.

    Bouquet 1 of Zee Turner comprises Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Zee Studio, Zee Bengali, Zee Gujarati, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Cartoon Network, Reality TV, CNBC, CNN, Zee Café, Zee Trendz, ETC, ETC Punjabi, Zee Jagran, Zee Smile, Zee Telgu and Zee Music..

    The second bouquet includes HBO, Pogo, Awaaz, VH1 and Zee Business. Zee Turner is soft bundling Zee Sports at a price benefit.

    The third bouquet, called Breakfree, consists of Zee Action, Zee Premier and Zee Classic, which air movies of different genre and are primarily available on Dish TV DTH platform.

    Interestingly, Zee Turner wants to keep Zee Sports out of the negotiations with Tata Sky, saying a deal for the sports channel — holders of cricket rights for matches to be played by India on non-ICC recognised venues — could be done separately.

    According to the sources, Zee Turner has reasoned that its demand is based on a recent ruling of a disputes tribunal in Dish TV vs Star case wherein Star was asked to make available its channel to Dish at Rs 27 per subscriber, which is 50 per cent less than the price cable ops pay.

    Zee Turner has further said that in the Dish vs Star case, when Dish had wanted select channels of Star, the Hong Kong-based broadcaster was unwilling to accede to the proposal.

    Extending the same logic, Zee Turner has conveyed to Tata Sky that it would have to take all its channels.

    However, Tata Sky is only interested in the first two bouquets of Zee Turner for a price of Rs 42 per subscriber per month.

    On August 8, while announcing the commercial launch of Tata Sky service in 300 cities, company’s MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik had admitted that talks with Zee Turner had not been concluded.

    Amongst the 55-odd channels being offered by Tata Sky presently to its subscribers, Zee and Turner channels like Zee TV, Zee Sports, Cartoon Network and Pogo and some third party products like HBO, Reality TV, Awaaz and CNBC TV18 are conspicuous by their absence.

    Country’s first pay DTH platform, the Subhash Chandra-owned Dish TV, boasts of 1.25 million subscribers.

    Pubcaster’s DD Direct+ claims a subscriber base of 3.5 to 4 million for its subscription-free service of free to air channels.

  • Zee Sports to move to Zee Turner 2nd bouquet

    Zee Sports to move to Zee Turner 2nd bouquet

    MUMBAI: Zee Sports, which till now has been sold as an a la carte pay channel, is being bundled as part of Zee Turner’s second bouquet of channels. The bouquet comprises five channels – HBO, Pogo, Zee Business, Vh1 and Awaaz.

    The price of the second package will increase from Rs 25 to Rs 30 per subscriber a month with effect from 1 August. Zee Sports as a standalone channel was priced at Rs 10. “The second bouquet will now include Zee Sports and the price will increase by Rs 5 per subscriber,” Zee Turner CEO Arun Poddar says.

    Zee Turner’s first bundle consists of channels like Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Cartoon Network and CNBC. The regional channels of Zee are also in this pack. The bouquet is priced at Rs 58.85 a month per subscriber. The combined rate of the two bouquets after the inclusion of Zee Sports will now be Rs 88.85.

    The strength of Zee Turner’s second bouquet is led by the two Turner channels, HBO and Pogo. With Zee Sports lacking driver content, the bundling is expected to give the sports channel a boost in connectivity while allowing a rate increase for the second bouquet. Though Zee Sports was priced at Rs 10 and sold in Zee-Turner’s third bouquet, cable operators in effect were asking for a carriage fee to distribute the channel.

  • Tata Sky earmarks Rs 1.5 billion for marketing of service

    Tata Sky earmarks Rs 1.5 billion for marketing of service

    MUMBAI: Tata Sky, an 80:20 direct-to-home (DTH) joint venture between the Tata’s and Star Group, is moving ahead step by step towards a launch, the date for which is still being closely guarded by the company.

    While most of the money is now riding on an August-September commercial kick-off, the latest on the Tata Sky front is that it has earmarked approximately Rs 1.5 billion for marketing the DTH service across all platforms, traditional and non-traditional. From pilot MDU (multi-dwelling unit) projects in some cities of India to educating an average Indian about the advantages of a DTH service supported by the Tatas and Star, the game plan covers the full gamut.

    Tata Sky sources reveal that a major part of the Rs 1.5 billion marketing budget is likely to be spent during the festival season in India, starting late September and lasting till Christmas-New Year, when consumers have a tendency to splurge on goodies.

    Meanwhile, apart from Zee Turner family of channels, most other major TV channels are almost sure of finding a berth on the Tata Sky platform from day one of launch. Apart from the news channels, the likes of Times Now and Disney are already part of the test signals, people in the know say.

    It needs noting however, that except for ESPN Star Sports, no other broadcaster (and that includes the Star Network channels) have signed commercial agreements wth Tata Sky as yet.

    ESPN Star Sports, a joint venture between Disney and News Corp in Asia managing the two sports channels, have also to take a call on whether to bring in a new interactive sports channel, or confine the interactive aspects to the two existing channels. “We are still weighing all options,” a Singapore-based source in ESS said.

    Zee channels’ appearance on Tata Sky, meanwhile, would depend on how soon (or how late) Star comes to an agreement with Dish TV, now that Discovery-Sony One Alliance has come aboard country’s first DTH platform.

  • Zee-Turner switches off OCN Network in Mangalore

    Zee-Turner switches off OCN Network in Mangalore

    MUMBAI: Zee Turner Limited, the distribution arm of Zee Telefilms Ltd and Turner International (I) Pvt. Ltd, has finally switched off its bouquets of 26 channels on OCN Network in Mangalore due to non payment of its huge outstanding to Zee Turner and non signing of fresh agreement after expiry of earlier one.

    Zee Turner has been in negotiations with OCN for past eight months to clear its outstanding and to sign a fresh subscription agreement declaring its accurate subscriber base as the old agreement. It was found that OCN had been serving many more subscribers and households as compared to the number of subscriber households declared to Zee Turner.

    The decision to switch off the operator came in wake of fall out of negotiations and the operator’s constant abstinence from clearing its outstanding and signing the requisite agreement.

    While rest of Mangalore on CCC and ICN’s network continues to enjoy the channels of Zee Turner, close to 50,000 subscribers of OCN Network are deprived of channels like CNN, Zee Cinema, Zee TV, HBO, Cartoon Network, Pogo due to default on OCN’s part.

    Zee Turner Ltd. CEO Arun Poddar said, “We are concerned about our viewers and still trying to negotiate with OCN and have kept all our channels of communication open. We have shared an extremely healthy relationship with OCN in past and are positive of resolving the issue in an amicable manner.”

    It is to be noted that as per the regulation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), if a cable operator drops a channel or bouquet of channels from his network, he is required to reduce the price of such channel/bouquet to be charged from his customers/households. The viewers are, therefore, entitled and may ask for reduction in price from their monthly cable bill if these channels are missing due to such switch off.

  • Reality TV to be renamed Zone Reality

    Reality TV to be renamed Zone Reality

    MUMBAI: Entertainment firm Zone Vision Networks has announced a new global brand for the company’s corporate identity and its channels.

    The company will introduce an umbrella brand, Zonemedia, on 26 June. New logos and names for the company’s six thematic channels will also be rolled out.

    Reality TV, which is distributed in India by Zee Turner will be renamed Zone Reality. Romantica becomes Zone Romantica, Club becomes Zone Club, The Horror Channel becomes Zone Horror and Europa Europa becomes Zone Europa.

    Zone Vision chairman Chris Wronski says, “Our new look reflects the developments that have taken place in the business in recent years, which encompass the launch of new satellite TV channels, as well as web and Wap sites. Viewers will continue to enjoy the distinctive programming they have come to expect from their favourite Zonemedia channels.”

    Branding and communication agency Kemistry created the network’s new identity. The modern look and feel provides a cohesive identity across Zonemedia’s growing portfolio of thematic channels.

    London-based Fig Jam Marketing provided additional creative and logistical support.

  • Roller coaster ride on Reality TV this June

    Roller coaster ride on Reality TV this June

    New Delhi, June 1, 2006: Throughout June a series of exciting and gripping shows will be premiered on Reality TV – a 24-hour entertainment channel that showcases programmes on real people with true stories. The interesting line-up for the month includes shows like The Great Shark Hunt, The Repossessors, Video Vigilantes, Cheaters Series 4, Daring Capers, Dr G Medical Examiner and Patient Files.

    Reality TV has been captivating audiences worldwide through an eclectic mix of real life programmes that portray myriad experiences, feats, idiosyncrasies, aspirations and sentiments. Each programme captures events as they actually happened.

    Announcing the new shows, Flecka Picardo, Marketing Manager of Reality TV – Asia, said, “It has been Reality TV’s conscious attempt to provide meaningful, real life entertainment filled programmes to our Indian viewers. We are confident that these new programmes will further strengthen the position of the channel in India and will be appreciated by our viewers.”

    The Great Shark Hunt documents the struggle for regulation of the shark meat industry in order to maintain the shark population. The programme promises an extensive new footage of sharks in their natural habitat.

    The Repossessors will take you to the front lines of the ongoing war between car lenders and delinquent debtors. Witness firsthand behind-the-scenes planning and successful execution of a wide variety of auto repossessions. Follow a variety of other repo men from different parts of the country as they prepare for and carry out their high stakes missions. Surveillance, hidden cameras, disguises, extensive planning, sheer instinct and sometimes partnering with Federal Marshals are all a part of the process of devising the perfect hit.

    Video Vigilantes is a show that showcases curtain twitching into the 21st Century. The camcorder revolution has taken Neighbourhood Watch to new extreme levels. From shopping kerb crawlers and drug dealers to nabbing knicker thieves and randy rozzers, video vigilantism is rife and it’s here to stay.

    Reality TV Channel continues with some of its popular programmes like Cheaters Series 4, Daring Capers, Dr G Medical Examiner and Patient Files in June.

    Cheaters, a popular part of the Reality TV schedule continues with new episodes in June, with presenter Joy Greco uncovering yet more infidelity. Cheaters follows Joey and his team of private investigators as they sneak their way into suspects’ houses and plant surveillance cameras to keep a beady eye on what the mice get up to when the cat’s away. Discretion and tact are never allowed to get in the way of a good catfight on this show, and Grand’s clients are always shown the steamy evidence against their naughtier halves before being led by the crew to confront them.

    Enticingly dangerous and devilishly clever: Daring Capers involves con artists to cat burglars, who tiptoe through the high-stakes world of the cunning crooks who mastermind the world’s most daring capers. Daring Capers reveals a rogue’s gallery of bank robbers, art thieves and debonair con artists who tried to steal their way to wealth through brilliant ploys and slick transactions.

    One of America’s most respected and charismatic forensic pathologists, Dr. Jan Garavaglia takes viewers on an unprecedented look behind-the scenes at the world of science, mystery and justice in Dr G: Medical Examiner. Each one-hour episode will include actual, in-depth examinations and autopsies, as well as the exploration and investigative filed work conducted by Dr. G and her team at the Orange-Osceola County Medical Examiner’s office in Florida. With extraordinary 24/7 access to the medical investigators, the morgue staff, Dr. G reveals the intimate, inner workings of an extraordinary forensic pathology lab. This gripping medical series is currently number-one in prime time for Discovery Health. Audiences can’t seem to get enough!

    Patient Files is a dramatic documentary series that explores the world of an emerging generation of medical pioneers and their patients. The stories are set in North America’s renowned Sunnybrook & Women’s College Hospital — one of the first hospitals in the world geared towards the research and treatment of women’s health. Each episode will feature patients as they make critical journeys from illness and treatment to recovery – all at the hands of courageous and compassionate medical teams dedicated to women’s medicine. It will portray the challenges patients and medical professionals face in receiving and delivering care differently. The series will draw audiences into the dramatic stories of women facing everything from cardiovascular disease to cervical cancer; from high-risk pregnancy to facial reconstruction and more.

    About Reality TV
    Reality TV is an entertainment channel that tells stories of real people in real life situations and events as they actually happened. Reality TV is successfully reaching all corners of the globe providing thrills, spills and unbeatable round-the-clock entertainment 365 days a year. Zone Vision’s Reality TV channel was first launched in Europe in late 1999 and has gained distribution in more than 120 territories in just four years. The most significant recent launches were in the UK, where the channel is now available to more than 8 million cable and satellite subscribers and consistently rates in the top 50 channels in a 300+ channel market, and in the US where the channel launched in December 2003 on the Dish Network satellite platform. Worldwide, Reality TV is now broadcast in 16 different languages and is available to over 35 million subscribers.

    Reality TV has a viewership of over 15 million Indian households across the country. The channel is distributed by Zee Turner and is also available on the DTH platform, Dish TV.

    About Zone Vision Networks
    Based in London, Zone Vision Networks is a leading international broadcaster and distributor of thematic television channels. The company was founded in 1991 and today has 18 offices and studios throughout Europe, the United States, Asia and Latin America.

    In addition to its operating group in London and international headquarters in Amsterdam, Zone Vision also has 18 regional offices. With over 250 specialist personnel, the company’s commitment to understanding and addressing the unique business needs of international broadcasting is unparalleled. Activities conducted by the Group include channel creation and management, channel representation and program sales.

    Zone Vision Networks owns and operates four thematic channels: Reality TV, Europa Europa, Romantica and Club, which are broadcast in over 125 countries in 18 languages, with over 135 million paying subscribers. ZVN are also equity affiliates in the studio blockbuster movie entertainment channel, Showtime (Turkey). In addition, Zone Vision has a successful channel representation business and currently represents over 30 international channels from such companies as Discovery, Viacom, Turner, Hallmark and Eurosport, managing over 60 million subscribers. Zone Vision also has a program distribution business and continues to acquire formats, series and specials from leading producers around the world.

    Zone Vision Networks is 87.5% owned by chellomedia, a division of UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. (“UGC”) (NASDAQ: UCOMA).
     
  • Ten Sports’ Arun Poddar appointed Zee Turner CEO

    Ten Sports’ Arun Poddar appointed Zee Turner CEO

    MUMBAI: It’s all happening at Subhash Chandra’s Zee Group as the network aims to move up a gear on all fronts. Even as Zee Telefilms moves to split its broadcasting business into three entities — news operations, broadcast and content creation, and Siti Cable — there is also action on corporate hierarchy front.

    The Zee Turner distribution bouquet has appointed a new CEO in Arun Poddar, currently vice-president (distribution), Ten Sports. Poddar, who has already put in his papers at the Dubai-based sports channel, is expected to take up his new assignment by the second week of April.

    Poddar’s move to Zee was confirmed to Indiantelevision.com by a senior executive in the company who said, “Arun Poddar is a fine professional and we expect that he will take Zee Turner to greater heights.”

    As regards the present Zee Turner CEO Siddharth Jain, it is not clear at this juncture but the expectation is that he will likely be reassigned to a different position within the group.
    Poddar cut his teeth in the distribution business with ESPN Star Sports. From there he moved on to news channel India TV as vice-president (distribution). He joined Ten Sports as head of distribution in April 2005.

  • Tdsat directive on Dish TV: Deadline over, MTV mum

    Tdsat directive on Dish TV: Deadline over, MTV mum

    MUMBAI: With just a day left for the 30-day deadline set by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat), but music channel MTV and sibling kids’ channel Nick are still missing from Dish TV.

    It was on 10 February that Tdsat had issued a directive giving the two Viacom channels 30 days notice to make themeselves available to Zee Group’s DTH service Dish TV. As per Tdsat’s dictat, within the time frame from 10 February to 12 March, the two channels from the MTV stable had to be visible to Dish TV subscribers.

    Dish TV had issued a reminder to MTV, stating that the time period is on the verge of expiry and hoping for a positive response on the same. According to a senior Dish TV executive, “We issued a final reminder on 9 March. If they fail to respond to the same, we will move the Tdsat next week.”

    When contacted by Indiantelevision.com, a senior MTV Networks India executive said, “At this point of time, we don’t want to comment on this matter.”

    It is worth noting that when contacted earlier by Indiantelevision.com, MTV Networks India Sr VP network development and licensing and merchandising Sanjeev Hiremath had stated that the Set-Discovery One alliance (of which the two channels are a part) is already in talks with ASC Enterprises (Dish TV’s holding company) in regards to the matter.

    When asked if his DTH network and the One Alliance were anywhere near agreement, a senior Dish executive said, “We did have a few rounds of talks. However, nothing has been finalized as of now.”

    Dish TV, last year, had moved the disputes tribunal seeking legal redressal against, what it says, is MTV’s unwillingness to come onto its DTH platform.

    MTV India operates three channels in the country — MTV and Nick, distributed by the One Alliance and Vh1, distributed by Zee-Turner.